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DMACH 2011
Digital Media and its Applications in Cultural Heritage


Organized by
The Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region, Jordan
Al-Turath Foundation, Saudi Arabia

In collaboration with
Queen Rania Institute of Tourism and Heritage, Hashemite University, Jordan



Introduction

Over the past few years, a remarkable increase has occurred in the use of digital techniques for the documentation, management, and communication of cultural heritage. This has drastically transformed the way we capture, store, process, represent and disseminate information. The techniques employed have evolved from standard surveying and CAD tools and/or traditional photogrammetry into laser scanning virtual reality and fully automated video-based techniques. However, it is often argued that digital media tend to create and compile value-free content and thus are inefficient in capturing and communicating cultural and symbolic meanings. Digital media, as any other medium, tend to amplify or reduce the cultural phenomena as a result of their constraints and limitations. Thus the issue of using digital media for cultural heritage is by no means a simple one and must be examined from different angles. The aim of DMACH2011 is to explore the opportunities and challenges of using digital media in the research, preservation, management, interpretation, and representation of cultural heritage. Of particular interest for this year conference are issues related to interactive virtual reality, intelligent and wireless hand-held devices, high speed multi-media, and making virtual reality and augmented reality user-friendly and available resources for the general public.
Building on the successful DMACH 2008 international conference held in Amman, Jordan in 2008 and in order to explore and map the challenges and opportunities of using digital media in cultural heritage, The Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR), Al-Turath Foundation, and Queen Rania Institute of Tourism and Heritage have joined together to organize the second edition of the International Conference on Digital Media and its Applications in Cultural Heritage (DMACH 2011). This conference provides a forum to examine and discuss current practices and future directions in the documentation, representation, and communication of cultural heritage using digital technologies. The conference aims to provide the participants an occasion to share and exchange experiences and research findings, to stimulate more ideas and useful insights regarding the uses of digital media in cultural heritage, and to debate their views on future research and developments.

Topics of Interest

We invite scholars and practitioners in architecture, planning, archaeology, and related fields, as well as administrators of museums, galleries, and archives, to submit papers on any topic related to conference theme. Papers may reflect on a wide spectrum of issues related to digital heritage. The conference is structured around a number of sub-themes that include -but are not limited to:
 
• Virtual realty applications in conservation research and practice
• Internet-based applications
• E-libraries and e-learning in cultural heritage
• Intelligent description of cultural heritage content
• Interactive, virtual and augmented environments
• wireless hand-held devices
• Knowledge systems for heritage management
• GIS and spatial information management in cultural heritage
• Photogrammetry, laser scanning and scene modeling
• Virtual Heritage
• Virtual Museums
• Data acquisition technologies
• 3D data capture and processing in cultural heritage
• Digital reconstructions and 3D modeling
• Reproduction techniques and rapid prototyping in cultural heritage
• Multimedia, data management and archiving
• Rendering techniques for cultural heritage: photorealistic and non-photorealistic
• Innovative graphics applications and techniques
• Digital media and commodification of cultural heritage
• Authenticity and integrity of data/content
• The economics of cultural informatics
• Usability and interface design for cultural heritage applications
• Methods of and issues related to accessibility and interoperability

Important Dates

Full paper submission for review: October 15, 2010 *
Notification of acceptance:  December 20, 2010
Deadline for final papers: January 30, 2011
* Extended deadline  

Late Paper Submission

Papers may still be accepted for oral presentation shortly before the conference takes place. we wil doour best to consider papers submitted on or before October 15, 2010 in the review process. It may not however, always be possible to include late Papers in the Conference Proceedings. 

Abstract Submission

Abstract submissions should be approximately 500 words and must be in English. Abstract and full paper submissions should be sent in MS Word or PDF document format. You are asked to identify the research track for your paper. Abstracts should be e-mailed to scientific committee co-chairs (). Full paper submissions are required to be done online at csaar submission and review system following the link below. Submissions will be peer reviewed.


Full Paper Submission and Format

For full paper format and submission guidelines, click here>>.
On-line paper submission system is open now >>

Posters, Panel Discussion & Workshops

The conference also welcomes proposals for:
* Poster papers
* Plenary Session/ Panel Discussion
* Workshops
  
Proposals may address any of the topics falling within the scope of the conference themes.
Schedule (for Posters & Workshops Proposals)
Proposals due: August 15, 2010
Notification of Acceptance: October 15, 2010
Position papers due (panels): December 15, 2010

General Note: Workshops and Panel Proposals should be submitted by e-mail to conference Conference Secretariat Samer Taweel (sami @ csaar-center.org)

Instructions for submitting proposals for Poster Papers, Workshops and Panel Discussion is available HERE >>

Conference Fees and Registration

Authors are invited to complete the registration process before Janaury 30, 2011. Deadline for authors to send registration fees is February 5. Failing to send the registration fees on or before this date will result in excluding the paper from the proceedings.
Click here for Online Registration >>.

Conference Proceedings

All papers accepted for publication will be published in a conference proceedings, which will be available to delegates at the time of registration. In yaddition, papers will be published in a volume of CSAAR Transactions on the Built Environment (ISSN 1992-7320).

Best Paper Award (2 Awards)

The Best Paper Award is presented to the individual(s) judged by a separate awards committee to have written the best paper appearing in the conference proceedings. The Award shall be 300 USD and a certificate. In case there is more than one author for the paper, the award shall be divided equally among all authors and each shall receive a certificate. Judging shall be on the bases of general quality, originality, subject matter, and timeliness.

Location & Accommodation

Amman is the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a city of 2.5 inhabitants, and the administrative capital and commercial center of Jordan.
Amman, the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Amman is located in a hilly area of north-western Jordan. The city was originally built on seven hills, but it now spans over an area of nineteen hills (each known as a jabal or "mountain"). The main areas of Amman gain their names from the hills and mountains on whose slopes they lie. The seven hills of Amman are an enchanting mixture of ancient and modern. In the commercial heart of the city, ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans' workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city’s much older past. Sunset is perhaps the best time to enjoy Amman, as the white buildings of the city seem to glow in the fading warmth of the day. 
Information regarding conference venue, accommodation and travel is available Here >>.
 

Excursion

For those who might be interested to extend their stay in Jordan to discover the undisclosed corners of the country, we strongly recommend the post-conference excursions, on Wednesday March 16, 2011.

Tour One: Petra (one of seven wonders)
Tour Two: Deccapolis
Tour Three: Mt. Nebo – Maqdas – Dead Sea

Click HERE for more details about Excursions >>

Registration: To pre-register for any of the above tours, please email
Each tour has limited seats. To confirm your participation, please send registration fees as soon as possible. Click HERE for registration >>

Conference Secretary

Mr. Sami Kamal
sami @ csaar-center.org